Lion Mining, an iron ore producer located in the Brazilian northeastern state of Piauí, is preparing its first shipment directly to China.
The company produces an estimated 1.5 million mt per year of the ore with an average 65 percent iron contents, which until now was shipped via the Port of Pecem, located in the neighbor state of Ceará, after a 150 km ride by trucks.
Despite the small volume when compared with larger miners, the Lion Mining ore is highly valued by its large proportion of lumps.
The 110,000 mt shipment will be transported by barges and transferred to vessels offshore.
Produced by Lion Mining at its Piripirí mine, it is already being stored at the new terminal, which is nearing completion and will begin operations at Porto Piauí, in the municipality of Luís Correia, distant 150 km from the mine.